According to the folk calendar - Calling to the ancestors

On May 3 (April 20, old style), according to the folk calendar, a day called the Calling of Ancestors is celebrated The people treated their ancestors and deceased ancestors with respect Residents believed that the souls of relatives visited living relatives several times a year Therefore, appropriate rituals were performed on this day According to popular beliefs, the souls of deceased relatives are in the world of the dead There they miss the living and want to return back It is believed that on May 3 the gates to the earthly world open, but in order for the ancestor to appear to his relatives, he had to be called upon The eldest woman in the family went to the cemetery at dawn I approached the grave of the deceased and began to cry; it’s not easy for the family to tell him She then called on the ancestor to return to the family If the cemetery was located far away, deceased relatives were loudly invited while standing in the yard The ritual of calling out was considered a normal phenomenon by the people, so calling was carried out without hesitation Calling out to their ancestors, the residents prepared a table with an abundance of tasty and satisfying dishes Housewives baked pies and brewed jelly drinks All food was served hot, as the peasants believed that the souls of relatives were fed by the hot vapors from it At the exit from the village, a table was set up for the dead, covered with a tablecloth, church candles were lit, and bread and salt were laid out for the dead On this day, quarrels and foul language were avoided The girls put on new outfits The housing had been cleaned the day before This was done so that the ancestors were convinced that the family lived in prosperity and peace, was well-fed, and had something to wear In the evening, according to tradition, a fire was lit in the stove, the family sat down at the table, but the place at the head was left free for the soul of the main forefather Three spoons of jelly were eaten first, then the rest of the dishes On the day of Calling the Ancestors, it was forbidden to place your feet on the lower supports of the table or benches, believing that other spirits who appeared would stand on them Ancestors left their families at midnight Seeing them off, the family went out onto the porch and listened to the silence When the first gust of wind blew after midnight, the souls returned to the afterlife The Day of Calling to Ancestors was dedicated exclusively to deceased relatives Residents tried not to make plans for this date and avoided wedding ceremonies and children's christenings Fishermen postponed fishing until the next days, believing that there would be no catch Observing the flash of lightning on this date, people predicted sunny weather in the following days The abundance of primroses spoke of impending warming, and their closed inflorescences promised bad weather A dry layer of soil predicted poor yields If the fish fry stayed in a school, it means that the days are still cool; if they spread out, it will become warmer